Why is it impossible for a couple and a dog to find a landlord that would let us live in their property?

Answers (2)

Hi Owen,
The problem that people with pets face at the moment is simply that demand for properties in the rental market in general is really high at the moment. It means that landlords are generally able to find a tenant for their homes relatively easily most of the time, so as a rule, most will look to what they would class as a lower risk tenant.
Unfortunately, those who have pets like dogs and cats are often seen as being higher risk. This is because pets in homes are more likely to cause damage than tenants who have no pets. Even though most dogs and cats will be well behaved and not cause any damage, there are always those which will. For this reason, a lot of landlords will not let their property to people with pets if they don't have to.
There are ways around this though. Lets with Pets is a website that is run by the Dogs Trust, and they can help you to find landlords and agents in your area who are happy to work with you.
You can also try offering something extra to supplement your application and increase your chance of being able to rent with your pet. For example, if you offer a larger security deposit, some landlords will see this as a way of offsetting the cost of any potential damage caused, meaning that they would not need to shell out as much if their home should need repaired or things replaced when your tenancy comes to an end.
Many thanks,
Scott